Mini Strategists
by Hieirulesall
Summary: Zuo Ci, angry at their constant argueing, has turned Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi into eight-year-olds. As he predicted, the younger versions are willing to work past their faults. However, anger, arrogance, and ambition may not be so easy to destroy
1. Chapter 1

Alright, this is the story I'm currently working on. If anyone's waiting on me for one of my other fics, I'm really sorry. I'm not sure when I'll get around to them, though there's always the possibility of me updating It All Started With an Elevator, since I'm incredibly obsessed with DW right now .

Anyways, I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it. I've been having a lot of fun with this fic. As always, it's about the three strategists, because I just can't get enough of them.

Chapter 1

It had been less than twenty-four hours since the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu had gotten together to discuss coming up with a

It had been less than twenty-four hours since the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu had gotten together to discuss coming up with a peace treaty for the three kingdoms to follow. Originally Cao Cao had refused, but after the threat of a combined attack from the forces of Shu and Wu, he had grudgingly agreed. The kingdoms had then needed to find a place for their leaders along with the most important officers to meet to discuss the treaty. That hadn't been too difficult. A large castle had been built with funds from all kingdoms at the border where all three kingdoms connected. This castle included a large surrounding area and all three kingdoms had put a great amount of money into it.

Most of the officers felt neutral about this, after all; it was their lives being risked in battle anyways. Of course there were those who enjoyed the fighting, but few believed this treaty could last very long anyways. They figured it could only be a temporary decision and eventually the fighting would start up again.

There were also those who objected rather strongly about this decision. Well, two actually. And along with them was the reason they objected so much. But, well, you're about to find out about those two…

Zhou Yu walked down the hall towards the meeting room in a foul mood. He did not trust this; he could not. His lord was idiotic if he believed that Wu could come out of this without being at a complete disadvantage. While it literally killed part of him to admit it; he knew there was little chance he could outwit Zhuge Liang. He would never stop trying, but he hardly considered this a good time to attempt it. Of course he had Lu Xun's help and that would be especially useful, but that also left Wei. There was no way he could team up with Sima Yi either because Wei was stronger than Wu and the only way to beat them was by siding with Shu. That brought him back to the original problem. Was Sun Jian an idiot?!

Upon entering the hall he was rather disturbed to find his two least favorite people at the moment to be the only ones there. Sima Yi was glaring darkly at Zhuge Liang while the Shu strategist was seemingly oblivious. This was obvious to Zhou Yu, but he had a feeling that were he in Sima Yi's position at the moment, he probably wouldn't notice it either.

"I think this is what I look like all the time and it rather frightens me," Zhou Yu said, announcing his presence.

Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi looked up at him with different expressions. "Generally," Zhuge Liang said with an amused look, "Though your's also usually shows the strain of preventing yourself from killing me. Sima Yi hardly has to worry about that so he can allow his hate its full reign."

"What do you mean I hardly have to worry about it?" the Wei strategist snapped angrily.

"He was calling you a pussy," Zhou Yu told him snickering. "Like the pot calling the kettle black."

"Laugh it up, pretty boy," Sima Yi growled at him. "If you spent all that time studying as you do training with your sword, maybe you'd make it up to our level."

Zhou Yu's eyes narrowed in anger and his eyes flashed angrily. "Well we'll see how good that training will do me if I take your head off right now."

"A lot of good, I'd imagine," Zhuge Liang told him, "Since all that studying could only bring you up to Sima Yi's level, hardly higher than your own, but nowhere near mine."

"What?!" both strategists snapped turning their attention back towards the Shu strategist.

_Up on a rafter at the top of the high ceiling in crane form, Zuo Ci watched the bickering with disappointment. Finally the three warring kingdoms had come together to settle their differences and these three would ruin it. Liu Bei and Sun Jian had actually managed to get Cao Cao to discuss a peace treaty that could likely save millions upon millions of lives by the end of the fighting. Yet, these three would let petty rivalries and feelings of jealousy get in the way of that._

_Sima Yi and Zhou Yu both felt their jealousy and hatred towards Zhuge Liang and let it blind their judgment. Yet the Shu strategist was almost worse, instigating them and driving them to anger. If only they could put this behind them, the fighting in China could stop, at least for a little while. They were some of the most intelligent men alive, yet they were fool enough to ruin this opportunity._

_Zuo Ci did not recall them being like this when they were younger. Of course they had had many of the traits they did now, but differently. As children they had been intelligent, but without the same desires as the current versions had. Watching what they had become, Zuo Ci gave a shriek of anger and disappeared. A little lesson was exactly what these three needed…_

Zhou Yu and Sima Yi were angrily yelling insults at each other and at Zhuge Liang, with constant input from the Shu strategist. The tension was so thick it was like, well, something incredibly thick, but obviously not solid. It was as if everything was getting to be too much; the pressure in the room built up then there was an almost audible pop. Smoke filled the room as if from a small explosion and engulfed the three strategists.

As the smoke began to clear there was a yelp of surprise and a loud crash from one of the three.

Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi looked around in confusion, eyes coming to rest on the mass of red writhing on the floor. Zhou Yu, looking about eight years old was struggling in the size of his adult clothing especially because of the immense weight the armor added. The heavy sword attached to his waist didn't help matters either. Apparently the other two had been spared such problems because they normally wore robes and did not carry around a large weapon.

Sima Yi, also about eight started snickering at the struggling boy on the floor; he didn't know him, but it sure did suck to be him. Wait a minute…where was he? Wei's strategist looked around in confusion, finally coming to rest on the laughing boy beside him. His name was at the tip of his tongue; if only he could place it.

"Who are you?" the final boy finally laughed out. This stopped the struggling Zhou Yu who looked up to glare at the two people in front of him.

"You look familiar to me. For some reason I seem to dislike you a lot…uh…" the boy in red looked around in surprise. "Where is this?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Um…I think I got it. Your name's Zhou Yu, right?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, you're…Zhuge Liang!" he declared, finding the name. They both turned to the darker boy. "What's your name?"

"Hey, you two know each other's name, but not mine?" Sima Yi asked angrily, voice high-pitched like that of any normal eight-year-old.

"Hm…you do seem familiar," Zhuge Liang told him thoughtfully.

"Yeah, sorta…" Zhou Yu added.

"I think your name starts with an S…"

"Sima…"

"Sima Yi, that's it!"

Said person simply glared at them. "Hey, um…why are we all wearing clothes that are way too big?"

"I don't know. Why can't I remember how I ended up here?" Zhuge Liang answered him. There attention was suddenly brought back to the cursing Zhou Yu who was once again struggling to stand up. "You're not going to be able to get up."

"Sure I can," Zhou Yu growled at him. "It's not that heavy!" He managed to climb slowly to his feet, but the weight of the sword on only one side sent him toppling over. This brought renewed laughter from Sima Yi and an amused look from Zhuge Liang. "Shut up."

"Here, let me help," Zhuge Liang said, walking over to him.

"Back off," Zhou Yu growled at him. "I don't need help." He managed to get his hands out of the folds of clothing and unclipped the sword.

"If all three of us tried lifting it, I'm sure we could get you out easily…"

"I don't need help for something like this," Zhou Yu growled at him once more. Using his arms he lifted up the top part of the armor and ducked inside, obviously trying to find away to get out underneath it.

"That's not going to work."

"What would you know?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Oh yeah?!" came the muffled response from inside the cloth and armor.

"Just leave the fool alone," Sima Yi snapped. "He's obviously too stupid to listen to common sense."

"What did you say?!" came the angered and incredibly loud shout from inside. "I'm smarter than you, you purple-wearing flower! And judging by the clothes you're wearing, I could beat you any day of the week fighting!"

"I agree with him on the fighting part," Zhuge Liang said. "And how come you're wearing purple? Only _girls_ wear purple."

"I don't know!" Sima Yi shouted at them, face bright red. How was _he _supposed to know why he had purple clothes on; he would never wear something this girly.

"I think he is a girl!" Zhou Yu shouted cheerfully, sticking his head out from in between the belt and the bottom of the armor. He stuck his right arm through and fought to get loose. This tangled the boy up further and finally he was left with his left arm, along with the rest of his body, tangled up, leaving only his head and right arm free.

Sima Yi laughed at the other boy in revenge for making fun of him, while Zhuge Liang wondered if he would ever stop and ask for help. Heh, he would probably stay in there for hours if he kept trying by himself.

"You're gonna be stuck forever," Zhuge Liang said in a sing-song voice.

"Arg, shut up!"

"If you ask for help, I can get you out of there," the boy in white and green offered.

"Yeah, right," Zhou Yu muttered sarcastically. His left arm twitched in the little movement the tight cloth allowed it. Angry as only a child could get, he started fighting wildly moving around as much as he could. This left him with only his head free and he felt even more ridiculous. Finally worn out, he sighed and looked away from them.

Zhuge Liang shook his head and approached the boy in red. He walked around until Zhou Yu could see him and looked at him questioningly.

"Fine, can you help me out?" Zhou Yu grudgingly asked him. Without a word, Zhuge Liang nodded and began pulling on different parts of the armor and clothes.

After minimal effort on both their pats, they had managed to get the heavy armor off of Zhou Yu and untangled the clothes he had been wearing underneath.

"Thanks," he grumbled.

"No problem."

"How did you know how to get me out?" Zhou Yu asked curiously.

"It was easy to see from the outside. Plus, you were struggling for a while so I was able to see how you got stuck in the first place."

"Are you two done?" Sima Yi asked impatiently. "I want to know where we are. And why it is that none of us remembered each other or how we got here."

They were interrupted by the nearest door opening and quite a few people filed into the room. Said people stopped in their tracks at the sight of the three boys standing in overly-large clothes before them. Those in the back pushed forward until they were all in the rather large meeting room.

"Holy shit! Zh…Zhou Yu?" Sun Ce's voice came out in a near squeak. The rest filed in, complete shock and confusion written all over their faces.

"What? How can that be Zhou Yu?" Gan Ning asked, tilting his head at the small boy in front of them.

"You can't see the resemblance?" Lu Xun asked in surprise.

There was a slight jostling as the leaders of the three kingdoms stepped forward to look at the now wary boys.

"This is definitely Zhou Yu," Sun Jian informed them, nodding towards said boy. "But, how could this have happened?"

"If that's Zhou Yu," Liu Bei said, "Then this must be Kongming," he concluded, gesturing towards said person.

"And this is Sima Yi?" Cao Cao asked in surprise. "He looks even stranger as a child." Said child growled and kicked the ruler of Wei in the shin earning himself a yelp in response. He smirked up at the ruler.

"Definitely Sima Yi," Cao Pi laughed.

"Zhou Yu, what happened to you guys?" Sun Ce asked his best friend.

"I don't even know where I am, how am I supposed to know that?" the boy asked him. "We we're all just here. We knew who each other were, but nothing more than that… Um, Sun Ce?"

"Yep!" the Wu heir grinned at the remembrance of his name.

"How old are we supposed to be?" Zhuge Liang asked Liu Bei, whom seemed to be the one who knew him. He got the name in his head and also a feeling of dedication.

"Well, you're all in your early to mid twenties…" the Shu ruler informed his strategist.

"We're what?!" Sima Yi shouted, high pitched voice earning laughter from those not in Wei and even some who were.

"He even sounds like a girl," Zhou Yu told Zhuge Liang who started snickering with him.

"I do not sound like a girl!" shrieked the enraged child. "It's not my fault! I don't know why I'm wearing these stupid clothes!"

"Those're the clothes your adult-self wears," Xiahou Dun informed the small child, much to the eight-year-old's disgust. "Yeah, that's how we usually feel about it."

The three different kingdoms split into groups to examine their shrunken strategists while their leaders discussed what should be done.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you all like it so much. So, I got the second chapter up right away and I hope people like this as much as the first XD

Chapter 2

Lu Xun glanced around the room curiously and noted that Zhou Yu's armor and sword lay in a pile next to him. "How did you manage to get that armor off by yourself?"

"Zhuge Liang helped me," Zhou Yu informed them, as if daring anyone to laugh. Just cause he hadn't wanted help in the first place didn't mean he was going to lie about it.

"Wait, wait, wait, are you sure this is Zhou Yu?" Gan Ning asked, walking over to the miniature strategist. "The real Zhou Yu would never let Zhuge Liang help him." He poked Zhou Yu as if he were some sort of strange object, pulled away before the small boy hit him.

"Zhou Yu was never so uptight when we were kids," Sun Ce said, head tilted towards the ceiling as he thought back. "I mean, he was still pretty uptight for a kid, but not nearly as bad. He actually balanced a little fun into his daily schedule of studying and sparring. Vicious, though."

"What'd you mean?" Ling Tong asked, joining his friend next to the annoyed Zhou Yu. "He's so cute like this." Without thinking, he reached out to poke the boy in head and didn't manage to pull back in time as the small boy snapped his head out and bit his outreaching finger. "Owe! Let go!"

Gan Ning and Sun Ce almost fell to the floor from laughter, as Lu Xun stood there looking amused. Ling Tong shook his hand vigorously, not wanting to hurt the small boy, but desperately wanting to get the sharp teeth off of his finger. When Zhou Yu grabbed onto the officer's arm and let go with his teeth, Ling Tong sighed with relief. This was short-lived, however, when the boy lifted his arm up and punched him in the stomach.

"How does someone that small hit so hard?" Ling Tong gasped, jumping back and taking cover behind Lu Xun.

"Yeah? Give me a sword and you'll see what I can do!" little Zhou Yu shouted at him.

"I'm afraid to see what you were like at this age," Lu Xun told Sun Ce, who was having a hard time containing his laughter.

"How do you think he ended up like that? You'd be amazed at how little sleep he needed when he was a kid," Sun Ce shook his head.

"You remember all that? You can't even remember what we ate for breakfast!" Lu Xun exclaimed.

"This's different though. Besides, our lives remained relatively unchanged until we were about fifteen or sixteen, so I guess it just stuck."

"This Zhou Yu's awesome!" Gan Ning announced. "Not that I don't want him grown up, of course," he added quickly.

"You know, I can hear everything you're saying," the small Zhou Yu informed them. "I'm not a thing."

"Sorry," Gan Ning said. "So! Let's go get you a sword that fits!" The pirate grinned like Zhou Yu was a new little brother for them to play with. Ling Tong shook his head fiercely, but was dragged to the armory by Sun Ce. Once they got there they searched until they found a sword similar to Lu Xun's that was small enough for the young boy to carry. It wasn't until after this that Zhou Yu complained about the size of his clothes, leading them off in a different direction.

((-))

"I never really pictured Zhuge Liang as a child," Zhao Yun announced, looking at the mini strategist curiously.

For his part, Zhuge Liang stared around at them curiously. Some of them were looking at him with interest, others with amusement. He noted none of them were bouncing around him with the same enthusiasm as those in red had for Zhou Yu. Part of him was glad of this fact; he liked quiet anyways.

"He's pretty short…" Guan Yu said. Zhuge Liang looked up at him with eyes that clearly said, 'and your point is?'

"He is," Pang Tong nodded, look at the boy with interest, "He's smaller than both Zhou Yu and Sima Yi. Of course, he could probably still out-smart the majority of us."

"You say 'us', but what you mean is us, not you," Zhao Yun laughed.

"Well, I didn't want to make you all feel bad." Pang Tong shook his head, "I'm sorry Jiang Wei, but I'm pretty sure he can't teach you while he's like this." The man laughed as said Shu officer glared at him.

"I know that," Jiang Wei informed him. "I was actually wondering what the Prime Minister was like as a child."

"I'm sure he was very much a child," Yue Ying said firmly, pushing through the Shu officers to kneel down beside her shrunken husband. "You all need not treat him like some strange object. Now, what do you like to do for fun Zhuge Liang?" she asked kindly.

The small boy smiled; he liked this lady. She seemed smart and he got a feeling of comfort from looking at her. "I like to read," the small Zhuge Liang informed them. "And I play chess with adults who play. I don't know many kids besides my siblings," he added. "Zhou Yu seemed like he might be interesting to talk to and maybe Sima Yi if he stops dressing like a girl."

"I suppose there are just some things all kids have in common," Jiang Wei said, shaking his head, "even the Prime Minister."

"We should find you some clothes that fit," Yue Ying said, lifting Zhuge Liang into her arms, despite his mild protests.

((-))

The Wei officers stared at their shrunken strategist, unsure of what to do. Most of them had found it very amusing to see the small boy kick Cao Cao, but now that they were looking at him, then didn't really know what to do.

"None of you like me," Sima Yi announced, glaring at them. It was obvious that he lacked the tact and subtlety of his older self, although he was just as observant. "I don't like you either."

"Now that that's out of the way," Cao Pi said dismissively, "Can we just leave him here and go-" He was cut off by a sharp kick to shin similar to what his father had received. This cheered up the Wei officers greatly and they wondered if maybe this Sima Yi wasn't all that bad.

"Don't ignore me!" Sima Yi yelled at the Wei heir. The officers stared at the small boy in surprise at his sudden outburst.

Cao Pi backed off and ducked back behind the other officers. "I don't like this Sima Yi." Said child glared at him and stuck his tongue out.

Xiahou Dun looked the boy up and down. "What're we going to do with him?"

Before any of them could respond a loud exclamation of shock turned their heads towards the door. A purplish-pink blur shot past them to stop in front of Sima Yi. Zhang He had shown up late and was now staring at Wei's small strategist with a look of horrified fascination.

"What has happened to our strategist, the lovely Sima Yi?" he exclaimed dramatically. Sima Yi looked up at the newcomer in surprise and took a hesitant step back.

"Something turned him, Zhou Yu, and Zhuge Liang into little kids," Xiahou Dun answered gruffly.

Now that he had gotten over the shock, Zhang He seemed almost overjoyed. He picked up the small boy and spun him around. Sima Yi struggled and kicked, trying to get away from the strange officer. When he was finally put down, the boy ran behind the group of Wei officers and ducked in the midst of them.

"Save me," he whispered up at them. Zhen Ji took pity on the boy and lifted him into her arms, not allowing Zhang He to take him back.

"Why don't we go find him some clothes that fit," she said with authority. "Blue ones," she added firmly with a significant glance in Zhang He's direction.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

While the officers were getting the three children clothing more suited to their size, their leaders were trying to determine what was to be done about the fact that their head strategists had been turned to children.

"I absolutely must have Sima Yi back!" Cao Cao declared, pounding his fist into his hand. Whether his determination was because he needed Sima Yi or because he was scared of the miniature version was anyone's guess.

Sun Jian shot a sideways glance at Cao Cao. "You sound rather panicked there, Cao Cao. Afraid of doing negotiations without him?"

"No! Besides, I think Liu Bei has more to worry about than I," Cao Cao said with a smirk. "After all, what are you without your precious Zhuge Liang?"

"Much as I want him back," Liu Bei sighed, "I still have Pang Tong. What do you have Cao Cao?"

For a moment the Wei leader was silent before shouting, "A stronger force than both of you combined!"

"But you have no strategist," Sun Jian pointed out. "I still have Lu Xun and Lu Meng. Liu Bei has Pang Tong and Jiang Wei. You're the only one with only one strategist. Now that he's a child, what're you going to do?"

Cao Cao grimaced, becoming defensive immediately. "Why should I have another when Sima Yi is more than enough considering the massive size of my army! Not that it's more than twice as big as yours or anything."

Liu Bei groaned in annoyance at the man's lack of subtlety, though Sun Jian merely shook his head in amusement. "That's not what we're talking about here anyways," the Wu leader reminded them. "We're not trying to decide whether or not to change them back. We must. This meeting was supposed to be about peace."

"Hah!" Cao Cao snorted at the Wu leader's declaration. When the other shot him questioning looks, he ignored them.

"Anyways," Sun Jian continued, "We have to get them back. Our real problem is finding out how to do it."

"Why not let them figure it out themselves," Cao Cao suggested. "We don't even know how they got like that. It was probably their own faults. They can figure it out themselves. That's why we have them anyways, isn't it? To be the smart ones?"

"Because heaven only knows, you couldn't do that," Liu Bei muttered.

"What was that?" Cao Cao turned to him angrily. "You're making fun of me? You couldn't find your way to your own bedroom without your little helpers there to guide you! As I was saying. Let them handle it! They've got a better chance of figuring it out anyways!"

Sun Jian looked at him incredulously. "You're saying we leave the fate of our kingdoms to eight-year-olds?!"

"No, they can't decide anything like that. We'll continue our…heh…negotiations as planned. We just won't finalize anything until they're turned back. Once they're adults again, they can read everything over and it'll all check out."

Liu Bei and Sun Jian both watched Cao Cao suspiciously at this. It was unusual for the Wei leader to be so helpful. "If they don't get turned back… Well, it'll take us a while to go through with the negotiations. Once we're done, if they're not back yet, we'll have to do something," Sun Jian told the others.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei agreed, though not with each other. They agreed with Sun Jian. It was like agreeing with each other, only they could say that they didn't. It made sense to them.

((-))

"So, is there anyone else my age around other than Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi?" Zhou Yu asked the Wu officers curiously. They'd already gotten the boy some clothes and were on their way to drop off the over-sized clothes and armor that his adult self wore, along with his sword.

"No, you're it," Sun Ce answered, having taken charge.

"Thank god," Ling Tong muttered.

"This isn't really a place for kids," explained Lu Xun. "We're at war with the two other kingdoms. The reason we're all here together is to see if peace is at all possible. You, along with Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi are strategists."

"So, I'm pretty awesome, huh?" Zhou Yu asked, shooting a furtive glance towards his sword, which Sun Ce was carrying. The Wu heir was the only one the boy had trusted with it and even then he'd only done it because he was too small to really carry its weight.

"Yeah, you're pretty awesome," Sun Ce agreed with a laugh, delighted to hear his old friend talk like this. It had been a long time since Zhou Yu had been so relaxed. More than that, it had been a long time since he'd seen Zhou Yu so confident in his own abilities and worth. Ever since Zhuge Liang came around he'd been unsure and angry all the time. This younger version suffered none of the same problems and, in fact, was almost arrogant in his confidence and faith in himself.

Gan Ning grinned down at Zhou Yu. "So, when did you learn to fight? And could you beat Ling Tong in a real fight?"

"Hey!" Ling Tong exclaimed. He looked angry, though he didn't seem too willing to do anything about the pirate's comment.

"Sun Ce and I learned to fight for real when we were four or five, I think. We were fighting with each other for as long as I can remember," the eight-year old answered. He looked back at Ling Tong with a vicious smirk. "Maybe. Even if I couldn't beat him, he'd still be pretty embarrassed at the end."

At this, Sun Ce and Gan Ning burst into hysterical laughter. "I don't know Ling Tong, kid has a point. You're already pretty embarrassed!" Finally having enough, Ling Tong let out a shout and chased the laughing pirate down the hall while the other three continued on at a normal pace.

"I've never seen Zhou Yu so…open, before," Lu Xun whispered to Sun Ce.

The Wu heir managed to stop laughing, though he couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched the small Zhou Yu walking so confidently in front of them. "Changed a lot, hasn't he?" Sun Ce remarked. "That's because most of his time was spent with me when we were kids. It was impossible for him not to be like that."

"What happened along the way?"

"What happened? Nothing, really. We grew up. He just grew up more," Sun Ce replied, still wearing that bright grin of his. While he couldn't wait to get his friend back to the right age, he couldn't help but wonder if this might be good for Zhou Yu, so long as he remembered it.

((-))

"I don't really care what I wear," Zhuge Liang explained as Yue Ying went through multiple pieces of clothing, discarding each. "I mean, it's never mattered. I live on a farm…or rather, the only memories I have are of living on a farm. It's not a big deal what I look like…"

The Shu officer shot him an amused glance. Even at this age, Zhuge Liang's language and word usage were very grown up. What was harder to imagine was a Zhuge Liang who didn't care about his appearance. The adult version relied on everything at his disposal to appear as he wanted others to see him. He used everything from how he spoke to how he dressed to manipulate the people around him. This younger version didn't care even a little bit how others saw him.

"Why don't you pick, then?" she asked with a smile.

Pouting in childlike annoyance, Zhuge Liang stepped forward and pulled out a white shirt lined in green and simple training pants that matched. "Nobody ever believes me when I tell them my favorite color is white," he told her.

"It is? Why is that?" Yue Ying asked. Of course she knew that white was the favorite color of the adult Zhuge Liang, but she never would have figured he'd have the same tastes as a child. White was hardly a popular color among young people.

"Because it doesn't have any of the other colors in it," he told her, looking down at the shirt with a light in his eyes. "It's almost like they can't be a part of it. It's untouchable. Other colors couldn't ever reach it. Plus, it's bright and I like that," the child added with a cheery smile.

"…"

((-))

"Just let me pick out his shirt! It must be amazing!" Zhang He exclaimed in distress.

"No!" shouted nearly every Wei officer present.

"We've already got him dressed," Xiahou Dun growled. "You're not putting in your own additions. He finally looks like a guy. Thank god."

"Yeah, why would I want to look like a girl!" Sima Yi shouted, still upset over being made fun of so much. "Go away! I don't like you!" he told Zhang He.

The butterfly general gasped. "Something is obviously wrong with our most amazing strategist! He would never behave so were he in his right mind. We must find a way to turn him back immediately!"

"We don't even know how he got this way," Zhang Liao said with a shake of his head. "What is your problem anyway? He's acting normal for a change."

"I am not normal," Sima Yi informed him tartly as they exited the room where clothing was stored. "I'm smarter than all of you, I bet. You have no idea." There was immediately a collective grimace among the Wei officers. So, it really was Sima Yi.

"Come on, Cao Cao can decide what to do with him," Xiahou Dun muttered. For a moment he'd hoped this Sima Yi might be more enjoyable to be around. He'd just gotten a reminder that there was no changing the egotistical strategist, no matter how old he was.


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, to the person who reviewed three times under different names, I'm not stupid, I know those are from the same person. If you want to be convincing, don't use anonymous names XD Your frequent requests did make me laugh, though. Expect to see the Wu girls making an appearance in either chapter six or seven, depending on where I fit it in. I'll try for six, but if that ends up too long, I'll have to push it back to chapter seven. A huge thanks goes out to everyone who's reading this!

Chapter 4

Zhou Yu sighed in relief as he shut the door of the library behind him. It had been several days since he, Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi had been discovered as children almost two decades younger than they should be. Since then, his every waking minute had been spent in the presence of Sun Ce or one of the other Wu officers. At first it had been fun, but the boy really needed a break now. Ling Tong was annoying, Gan Ning was way too noisy, and Lu Xun was hardly around, often being called away for whatever peace talks they were having. Sun Ce was okay, but it wasn't the same as being with Sun Ce when he was the same age as him.

Now that he was in the library, he looked around curiously. Zhou Yu had known where it was for a while, but this was his first time inside it since the Wu officers weren't the kind of people who read much. It was huge, he realized. There were desks everywhere, some with nothing on them, some covered. In one corner of the library there were a bunch of squishy armchairs set up for people to read. Curled up in one was the small figure of Zhuge Liang. The book in the other boy's hands looked almost as big as he was.

This would be his first chance to talk to the other boy with no one else around. Approaching Zhuge Liang, he made his presence known by tapping his foot on the floor loudly. After a moment, the green-and-white-clad child looked up.

"Oh hi," he greeted politely. "I haven't seen you around."

"Yeah, I was with, uh, Sun Ce and the other Wu officers," Zhou Yu explained. "I wanted to check this place out, since I haven't gotten to come yet."

"It's pretty amazing," Zhuge Liang told him. "I've never seen such a large library, though I knew they existed. There's a huge collection of strategy books too. I have a hard time finding them where I live. I made a pile of the ones I'm going to read. I've always loved strategy," he admitted.

"Me too!" Zhou Yu exclaimed excitedly. "Sun Ce doesn't, he says it's boring. That's why I always do so much better than him at lessons and stuff. He's good at lots of other stuff though," he added immediately, defending his friend even there was no need." At this, Zhuge Liang nodded. He seemed interested, but it was hard for Zhou Yu to tell. He was so used to Sun Ce, who made an amazing show of every emotion he felt. The smaller boy in front of him hardly had any expression.

"If you're looking for a good book to read, I suggest that one," Zhuge Liang said suddenly and pointed to one sitting on a nearby chair. "I finished it yesterday."

Zhou Yu found himself wondering just how much time the other boy had spent in here over the past couple days, but wasn't sure if he should ask. Instead, he gave a muttered thanks and walked over to grab the book and sit down. Silence filled the library for a while after that. Zhuge Liang had been right, Zhou Yu realized, it was a really interesting book. It was a bit hard for the eight-year-old to understand, though. He wondered if the other boy had as much trouble as he had and decided that he must have. After all, it was a pretty complicated book. The smaller boy probably just liked a challenge. Well, that was something he could relate to.

Thinking about Zhuge Liang caused Zhou Yu to look up at the reading boy. For some reason, he still felt that shadow of anger he'd originally felt when he'd first met him. It was odd and totally inappropriate. Zhuge Liang hadn't done anything to him. He had only to conclude that perhaps his adult self hated the other boy's adult self. Why was that though? Should he go along with the feeling or ignore it since it made no sense? Zhou Yu didn't really like things that didn't make sense.

"I don't think my adult self likes you," Zhou Yu announced, breaking the silence. Zhuge Liang looked up at him with another hard-to-read expression. "I've decided not to agree with him. You seem okay to me. I don't meet many other kids who like reading or strategy. Let's be friends, okay?"

Surprise showed on the smaller boy's face. After a moment a grin broke out on his face. "Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

"Me too." Nodding in satisfaction, Zhou Yu returned to the book.

There was another moment of silence before Zhuge Liang spoke up, "You said you like strategy. Do you know how to play chess?"

"Yeah!" Zhou Yu answered, excited at the mention of one of his favorite games. "Sun Ce never plays with me 'cause he hates it. I have to find adults who'll play, but it's hard to sometimes."

"I have that same problem," the Shu boy told him, closing his book. "You want to play a game with me now? I found a chessboard here earlier…"

"Definitely!" Looking around for something to mark his page in the book, Zhou Yu found a piece of paper, which he tore part off of. Sticking the marker in, he left it on the chair to follow Zhuge Liang over to one of the smaller tables that were against the wall.

There was a chessboard on the table already with a game that looked half-played already. "I was just messing around," the smaller boy explained, moving the pieces back to their starting positions. "Um…just so you know, I'm pretty good," he admitted.

Zhou Yu shot him a challenging look. "Well, we'll see if you can beat me, then we'll talk."

"You're on," Zhuge Liang replied confidently.

Their game last far longer than one would expect for children of their ages. While their moves were not nearly up to the standards that their adult versions could have managed, their abilities were very impressive. As they played on, it became obvious that Zhuge Liang had the advantage, though Zhou Yu refused to give in.

"Give up yet?" Zhuge Liang asked playfully.

"Not a chance. I've won in worse situation," Zhou Yu told him, staring at the board intently.

"Never accept defeat?" Zhuge Liang asked.

"Exactly. Unless you have to lose for something or someone else, then it's okay," Zhou Yu told him, looking up.

"But then, it's not really a defeat, is it? It's a different kind of victory. Like, if you want someone to think you lost, or something. There was something about that in one of the books I was reading," Zhuge Liang remarked thoughtfully. Zhou Yu could tell he was thinking aloud at this point.

"Shut up, I'm thinking," Zhou Yu muttered.

"But it's an interesting thought, isn't it? There's so much to use in strategy. It's like every-owe!" Zhou Yu had thrown one of his captured chess pieces at the green-clad boy.

"I told you, I'm thinking, be quiet."

Grinning mischievously, Zhuge Liang nodded. "Oh, I understand completely." Instead of sitting back, though, he picked up one of the pieces he'd taken from Zhou Yu and tossed it at the other player.

"Hey!" Zhou Yu yelped, looking up. Zhuge Liang was looking around innocently. "So, that's how you want it, huh?" Picking up one of the other pieces, the child from Wu threw it at his opponent.

Of course, this required a return-fire. Within seconds, the game devolved into an all-out war of flying chess pieces. The game was forgotten in favor of using the pieces as valuable ammo against the enemy. Both children were laughing and shrieking in excitement and looking more normal than most of their comrades had ever seen. Once the ammo ran out, both children were left breathing heavily and grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, so much for our game," Zhou Yu said, looking around at the mess they'd made with amusement.

"Oh well. We already knew I was going to win anyways. Maybe we can play again later," Zhuge Liang sighed happily.

Zhou Yu was not so happy. He reacted instantly to the other boy's suggestion that he would have lost. "What?! We didn't know you were going to win. I still had a chance and I'd have found it."

"You're kidding, right? You're one of the best people I've ever played, certainly the best our age, but I know when I've won. There was no way you could've stopped me from taking your king," Zhuge Liang told him. While he didn't appear upset, his calm, almost-blank look had replaced the grin he'd worn before.

"A game's not over until it's over! You can't just declare yourself the winner! You're good, but you're not that good!" Zhou Yu shouted, quickly growing annoyed with his new friend's arrogance. He didn't have to be such a jerk about. Just because he had been winning didn't mean Zhou Yu couldn't come back. What was his problem?

A look of annoyance appeared on the smaller boy's face. "Why are you getting so mad? It's just a game. I told you I was good."

"You're not that good," Zhou Yu sneered.

"How would you know? I'm better than you."

"We don't know that! We didn't finish."

"The outcome was pretty clear."

"People can come back from a disadvantage."

"You wouldn't have. I had you trapped!"

"No, you didn't!"

"I did too!"

"No, stop acting like you know what was going to happen!"

"I do! I would have won! There was nothing you could do to stop me!"

Zhou Yu shouted in fury. Almost without meaning to, he stepped around the table. Before Zhuge Liang could react, Zhou Yu had shoved him up against the wall as hard as possible and held him there. In that instant, the Wu boy wasn't sure what had caused him to move. His own anger had gotten out of control. Another part of him had half-expected Zhuge Liang to get out of the way. After all, Sun Ce would have never let him do that. But more than that, the vague feelings of hatred he'd had for the other boy had grown into an all-out loathing that seemed entirely out-of-place.

Shaking in rage, Zhou Yu met the eyes of his opponent only to freeze. Zhuge Liang looked absolutely petrified. While there were no tears in his eyes and he was utterly silent, the look of complete terror on the small boy's face would have broken the heart of anyone who wasn't completely evil.

Almost as if someone had turned off a switch, the hatred he'd felt disappeared. In its place was left a shocked horror at what he'd just done to his friend. Immediately, Zhou Yu released the other boy and stepped back, however Zhuge Liang had not moved. He was frozen on the spot and nothing could have made the Wu boy feel worse. Zhou Yu tried to speak for a moment, but couldn't. Instead, he took several more steps back to create more distance. Zhuge Liang refused to meet his eyes. He was shaking like a leaf as he stepped away from the wall. Without another word, he walked past Zhou Yu and out of the library, not bothering to close the door on his way out.

Zhou Yu groaned as he looked back at the scattered chess pieces. He didn't even know why he did that. It was just a game! Even if Zhuge Liang had been being an arrogant jerk, that was no reason to just attack him like that! Why had he felt so angry? So what if he was used to dealing with Sun Ce?! So what if he'd expected Zhuge Liang to put up some sort of fight?! That didn't excuse him doing that.

Miserably, Zhou Yu sat down at one of the empty chairs and stared off into space. He couldn't even run after the other boy to apologize as he would have if he'd done something to Sun Ce. If he did, he'd probably just scare the other boy more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As soon as he was out of the library, Zhuge Liang burst into an all-out sprint to get as far away as possible. Tears were streaming down the small boy's face, obscuring his vision, though he did nothing to stop them.

How had that happened?! He didn't even know what happened! One minute he and Zhou Yu were having a great time, then all-of-a-sudden they were fighting. And then Zhou Yu had… How had that happened?! He had never thought Zhou Yu would get so mad! Even if he had gone overboard, he'd never expected that! What had happened?! Why did Zhou Yu hate him so much?!

He was so distressed, he didn't notice the person in front of him until he crashed into them and fell back on the ground. Zhuge Liang looked up into the concerned face of Pang Tong, tears streaming down his face and breath coming in raged gasps.

Taking one look at the scared and upset child, Pang Tong knelt down and picked up the boy. While he may have been shorter than most, Pang Tong was still capable of carrying an eight-year-old, especially when they were as small as Zhuge Liang. He brought Zhuge Liang to one of the small rooms that existed only for people to sit and talk. Setting the boy down in one of the chairs, he dragged another over and sat down across from him.

"Now what happened? Are you okay?" he asked calmly.

Zhuge Liang nodded, though his movements were jumpy. "I'm fine," he whispered.

"What happened? I thought you were reading in the library."

"I-I was."

"Why don't you tell me what happened," Pang Tong suggested.

"Zhou Yu came in. We were reading together. Then we started playing a game of chess because he likes it too. We got into a fight and he shoved me into the wall…" trailing off, the small boy shook his head frantically. When Pang Tong refused to say anything else, he looked away. "He was so mad. I didn't mean to make him mad. I mean, we were fighting and I knew he was mad, but I didn't think he'd get that mad. I didn't mean to! I just…"

Pang Tong sighed, leaned over, and put a hand on the small strategist's shoulder. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked worriedly.

"No, but he was so mad. He hates me. I don't know why he hates me. He said that he could tell his adult self hated me, but that he wasn't gonna let that stop us from being friends. Why did he get so mad? I don't want him to hate me," Zhuge Liang whispered sadly.

Listening to his old friend explain the situation, Pang Tong realized that the boy's distress was not caused by Zhou Yu attacking him. It was by the thought that he'd somehow made the boy hate him. This was something an older version would not have had a problem with. As he'd grown up, Zhuge Liang had quickly learned that he could easily manipulate others to his advantage by forcing them to become angry or anything he wanted really. Obviously, that lesson had come much later than this. Growing up in a small farm town, he had probably not spent a lot of time around other people and still didn't realize the affect he could have on people.

"Why don't you explain to me what you guys were fighting about. Maybe I can tell you," Pang Tong suggested. He really wasn't very good with children. Hopefully he was doing this right or he'd never figure the boy out.

"After we threw the pieces at each other, I said that it was okay we didn't finish the game because I would have won anyways. Zhou Yu got mad and said that wasn't true. We started yelling at each other about it. It was true! He shouldn't have got so mad!" Zhuge Liang exclaimed defensively.

If Pang Tong could have, he'd have groaned right there and then. So, that was the problem? "You know, some people don't like to lose."

"But if he-!"

"Shh, I'm talking. Some people, especially Zhou Yu, absolutely hate losing. You said you hadn't even finished the game. Now, suppose you had finished that game and he had lost. Well, he might not have liked it, but there's always that chance when one plays a game. But, you two didn't even finish the game. If he had even a chance of winning, he'd have wanted to try it, even if it was just to see if he could. To him, it was like you were trying to take that away."

Zhuge Liang nodded sullenly. "Why do people care so much about winning and losing? It's not that big a deal. People are like that where I come from too."

Pang Tong couldn't help but grin at this. "How often do you win?"

"I always win," Zhuge Liang told him with slight smirk.

"Do you? Always?"

"Yes," came the firm reply.

Noticing the change, the man gave a short laugh. How quickly the boy had gone from guilty and upset to confident and arrogant. Now this was a Zhuge Liang he knew how to deal with. Zhuge Liang had mentioned that Zhou Yu said he could remember some of his adult self's feeling. Pang Tong knew he need not wonder with his old friend. This quick shift into confidence and that look in the boy's are were all too familiar. No other eight-year-old could have worn such a look and he highly doubted that Zhuge Liang had when he was this age, either.

"Well, why don't you and I play a game," Pang Tong offered. "I'm sure there's a lot I could teach you. I've played with you as an adult once or twice." More times than he could count, actually.

Zhuge Liang smirked and nodded, his previous distress all but forgotten.

((-))

Sima Yi wandered the halls of the massive castle, bored out of his mind. Most of his time so far had been spent with various Wei officers and avoiding Zhang He. There was only so long that would work for. The rest of the Wei officers didn't particularly liked him, he could tell. They just saw him as necessary. Xiahou Dun didn't seem to mind having him around, but even then it was hard to tell sometimes. Zhang Liao was okay, but he didn't really know how to entertain a kid, so even though Sima Yi didn't mind him, he wasn't any interesting.

In all honesty, Sima Yi wouldn't have minded Zhang He if he wasn't worried about what Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu would think. He didn't want them making fun of him again. Therefore, he had to avoid the flowery officer. With nothing left to do, he made his way to the library. Cao Cao had mentioned something about him finding a way to turn himself back. Sima Yi hated Cao Cao and fully intended on taking it out on the man at the next possible opportunity.

Until then, the advice was actually good. Sima Yi wanted to be an adult again. He didn't like being at such a disadvantage to everyone around him and needed to get back to the way he was. He was sure they wouldn't make fun of him then. Entering the library, he found it empty with the exception of Zhou Yu, who was sitting in one of arm chairs reading. The sword-carrying child didn't look like he was very happy though and kept turning the pages as if they'd personally offended him.

Snickering in amusement, he walked over. If he could get some entertainment out of this, he would. He still owed Zhou Yu for making fun of him.

"Having trouble reading?" he asked with a wicked smirk.

Zhou Yu's eyes snapped up to him. "No. Looks like you finally figured out what boys wear. Did someone help you?"

"No!" Sima Yi exclaimed immediately. In truth, Zhen Ji did, but he wasn't going to tell Zhou Yu that. "And you're one to talk! You have long hair like a girl!"

"Lots of adults have long hair," Zhou Yu replied with a smirk. "The only man I've seen wear purple is that crazy loud guy in Wei. I bet he's your friend as an adult."

"No, he's not! Even if he was, I'm not an adult!"

"You're going to end up like that though."

"Oh yeah?! Well, I end up really amazing as an adult! I'm the smartest guy in Wei. They don't have anyone even nearly as smart as me 'cause they don't need any! What about you?" he sneered.

"People on my side actually like me!" Zhou Yu shouted, putting his book down. "There's nothing to be proud of in having the stupidest kingdom!"

"It's not stupidest! It's the biggest! Xiahou Dun told me that Wei is way stronger than Wu or Shu!"

"Yeah, well you still look like a girl." Zhou Yu smirked in victory and opened his book again, as if this ended the entire argument.

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Sima Yi screamed, frustrated. Storming off to a different section of the library, he began looking through the books on magic and human transformation. He didn't really know what would help, but he figured if anyone could figure it out, he could.

Sima Yi had only been searching for a few minutes when the sound of a book slamming shut and being dropped on a table, followed by a door slam signaled Zhou Yu's departure from the library. If the Wu boy hadn't been so annoying to him earlier, Sima Yi might have been more inclined to care. As it was, he didn't see why Zhou Yu leaving or being annoyed should be any of his concern. Redirecting his attention back to the book in front of him, he flipped over to another page.

This was going to take absolutely forever, he realized, growing frustrated very quickly. Letting out a sigh of annoyance, he continued his search. If he had help it might be better, but there was no way he was asking either of the other two idiots for help.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks again for all the reviews guys. I'm glad so many people are liking this so far. Oh, and a special thanks goes out to my good friend, Everkitsune, who will now be my beta for this story. ILU FOXY!

Chapter 6

Zhuge Liang stared at the chess board in front of him with such an intense concentration that it took a great deal of willpower for Pang Tong not to laugh. The Fledgling Phoenix had played chess with the Sleeping Dragon a great many times but never had he seen such an open look of struggle on his old friends face. As an adult, Zhuge Liang was calculating and thoughtful, never showing any signs that the game was a challenge for him. Even when he lost, he would rather compliment his opponent's strategy than admit that he couldn't have won. However, the younger version was quite obviously having trouble making his move and didn't seem to care whether it showed or not.

Finally, the small boy moved one of his pieces, though the look on his face no longer bore the confidence he'd worn before. It was almost as if he was waiting for Pang Tong to checkmate him and didn't really know how to stop it. For his part, the Fledgling Phoenix had drawn Zhuge Liang into his trap rather skillfully, though pulling it off was nothing when one had to deal with the older version. He'd wanted the game itself to be drawn out, but the ending to come abruptly. The boy had realized what was happening, but by then it had been too late and he'd been boxed in on almost every side.

"Checkmate," Pang Tong declared calmly, moving a piece. Zhuge Liang sighed and flicked his king over in annoyance, the look on his face clearly stating that what he really wanted to do was pick it up and chuck it at the older man's head.

"I didn't even realize you were doing that," the Shu boy grumbled.

At this, Pang Tong burst out laughing, no longer able to contain himself. When the child's eyes shot him an annoyed look, he nearly fell off his chair laughing. After a while, the Shu strategist managed to get a hold of himself. "I've been playing chess against you for the past ten years, I've even won a time or two. You didn't stand a chance," Pang Tong informed the boy cheerily.

"I still should have noticed," the boy replied quietly, clearly displeased. His annoyance, when turned to anger, was cold. Zhuge Liang had never been one for throwing fits, shouting, or threatening people. His anger was more subtle; instead of glaring, he'd smile, instead of shouting, he'd talk softly, and instead of threatening, he'd go straight for the kill. It was, altogether, quite scary for one who had not known him as long as Pang Tong had. Thankfully, this was not anger, but frustration with himself for not being able to do better.

Laughing once again, Pang Tong shook his head. "Trust you to take entirely the wrong message out of it. Listen, Zhuge Liang, you're not always going to be perfect at everything you do. Yes, you're incredibly intelligent, probably smarter than almost any other person you'll meet in your lifetime, but don't ever let that make you think you can't be beaten. Even the smartest person can make a mistake and even a man lacking in skill can get lucky. Underestimating those around you is never a good idea, especially with one's friends."

"Are we talking about me, or are we talking about what happened with Zhou Yu?" Zhuge Liang asked curiously. For some reason, he didn't seem annoyed that Pang Tong was using this to explain his situation with the other boy.

"Both," Pang Tong replied. "People like to believe in themselves, Zhuge Liang. They like to see what's good in themselves. It's how people hold onto hope that they can achieve something and how they accomplish things others cannot. Those who cannot see the good in themselves have a hard time achieving anything because they don't believe they can. Sometimes, this hope doesn't always come from just them, but from the people around them. In some cases, people believe the best of themselves until someone else tells them different. Understand?"

Zhuge Liang sighed and nodded. "You're saying that if I'm going to be friends with Zhou Yu, I can't tell him that he isn't capable, even if it has to do with me. He's pretty confident on his own," the boy said thoughtfully, replaying the earlier event in his head.

"So are you."

"Yeah, but that's different," Zhuge Liang responded flippantly, hardly paying attention to the remark. Some things never change, Pang Tong thought It was both amusing and vexing at the same time.

"Now, understand I'm not condoning what he did. If he really tries to hurt you again then you should come to me or one of the other Shu officers."

"Do I have to apologize?" the boy asked sullenly.

"Do you think he should?"

"Yes!"

"Then there's your answer," Pang Tong replied cheerfully.

Getting to his feet, Zhuge Liang headed to the door before looking back. "We're playing again later, though. You won't get me with the same move." With that, he closed the door and left.

Pang Tong sighed and shook his head. At least the younger version actually listened to him. Some of what he'd told the boy really had nothing to do with his situation with Zhou Yu. He supposed he just hoped that maybe some of what he'd said would stick if they managed to turn the three back into adults. His old friend could use to have some lessons on overconfidence and arrogance drilled into him. The only problem was that Zhuge Liang's arrogance was justified to the extent that there really _was_ no one who could give him such a lesson.

((-))

Zhou Yu had been wandering the halls aimlessly for over an hour. He didn't know what to do anymore. Reading had been fun at first, but now all he could think about was Zhuge Liang. He was torn between feeling angry at the other boy and feeling bad for shoving him into the wall. While he honestly didn't know where all that hatred had come from which had led him into attacking the Shu boy, he knew that was hardly an excuse. For one thing, Zhou Yu should be able to control himself. For another, he had promised to be friends with Zhuge Liang despite his older self's hatred of him. Even now, it was hard for him to let go of that anger which something he'd never had quite so much trouble with before.

The boy was broken out of his musings by a cheerful voice calling his name. Turning around, he spotted Sun Shang Xiang, Sun Ce's sister and one of the few people he actually knew from his own life, not his adult self's.

"Hi," he responded, only able to hide so much of his depression.

"Did something happen?" she asked him kindly, walking over to him.

"No," Zhou Yu lied, looking away.

"Zhou Yu, you know you can tell me if something did right?" she asked him. After a moment of his silence, Shang Xiang shook her head with a short laugh. "I suppose the only time you'd ever talk to anyone other than Sun Ce was if it was about Sun Ce, huh? I think I can distract you, though. Gan Ning told me that he and Ling Tong were sparring outside today. I bet we can beat them together, what do you say?"

Staring at her, Zhou Yu wondered for a moment if he should. He liked Shang Xiang well enough, but he wasn't really in a good mood. Then again, when he wasn't in a good mood, usually he went and sparred with Sun Ce. So, this was close to what he usually did, though it begged the question, "Where is Sun Ce?"

"He has to be a part of the peace talks today, since he's the Wu heir. Before, he'd been getting out of it by making Quan go. Father finally threatened to make Quan the heir if Sun Ce didn't show up at least a couple times. Would you believe it if I told you Sun Ce had a fit?" Shang Xiang asked him conspiratorially.

Zhou Yu laughed. Of course Sun Ce would have a fit. Not only was he being forced to go to what was likely a very boring, very pointless meeting, but he was being forced by having his inheritance threatened. Of course he'd throw a fit. "That sounds like Sun Ce. He really hasn't changed as much as I would have thought," Zhou Yu admitted.

"It's harder to see the changes, but he really has grown up a lot. Some of it thanks to you, I might add. I'm sure he'll stop by later, though."

"Alright then, let's go. You fight Gan Ning, I want to beat Ling Tong up," Zhou Yu told her with a grin. In all honesty, he doubted he could beat the other fighter in a real fight; Ling Tong was a trained warrior who had fought in actual battles. Still, one thing he'd learned from Sun Ce was that sometimes it was fun to act as if one really were that confident, though he was quite sure Sun Ce actually was that confident and not just pretending.


End file.
